APPEAL of the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan to the world community and international organizations on attacks of Armenian Armed Forces on Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Main Export Oil Pipeline with prohibited cluster munitions

Since 27 September 2020, Armenian armed forces have continued to intensively fire at densely populated residential areas, social, cultural and strategic facilities with use of artillery weapons, rockets, military aircrafts and prohibited cluster munitions. Consequently, there are numerous dead and wounded among the civilian population, as well as the private houses, historical and cultural monuments, administrative buildings and other social objects were severely damaged.

An aggressor Armenia, which is not content with committing these war crimes, has begun to commit acts that may lead to serious environmental consequences for the region, as well as for the energy security of the countries of the region and Europe in general.

Hence, starting from 11 p.m. on October 6, 2020, the occupant Armenian armed forces subjected to fire Yevlakh district, which is densely populated and far from the conflict zone, and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Oil Pipeline passing through this area, with cluster munitions.  The cluster munitions rocket has fallen 10 meters away from the BTC Pipeline in Yevlakh. Fragments of more than 300 cluster bombs were scattered around, and this is a serious threat and danger to the life and health of the civilian population.

The BTC Main Export Oil Pipeline is of great strategic importance for Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and the region as a whole, Europe and the world in general, in economic, political and energy security terms.

As reported earlier, the Armenia’s next war crimes are directed not only against the Azerbaijani state, but the whole region and European countries, being targeted at undermining global energy security and causing serious environmental consequences for the region.

I urgently call on all states to react strongly to the next war crime of Armenia, which fired cluster munitions rocket on BTC Main Export Oil Pipeline blatantly violating the norms and principles of international law, including norms of international humanitarian law, and to take urgent measures to stop Armenia’s criminal activities, which will affect the energy security of the region and Europe, as well as lead to serious environmental consequences.

Sabina Aliyeva

Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman)
of the Republic of Azerbaijan

October 7, 2020

This Appeal is addressed to the UN Secretary-General, UN Security Council, UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Office of High Commissioner for Refugees, UN Human Rights Council, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, European Union, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, International and European Ombudsman Institutions, Asian Ombudsman Association, Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Ombudsman Association of its member states, Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, European Network of Ombudspersons for Children, International Peace Bureau, different ombudsmen and national human rights institutions, embassies of the Republic of Azerbaijan in foreign countries and the foreign embassies in Azerbaijan,  as well as to the Azerbaijani Diasporas.